And while we're ranting...

[firecat]

Via susanstinson, some fabulous information about what it's like to be diabetic. This person has type 1 and I have type 2, but about 80% of what she says, especially about how she reacts to what other people say to her, is true for me as well.

http://www.queeringdiabetes.org/substance/invalid.html

(note, about 2/3 of the way down the page there is a photo that might be disturbing and/or unworksafe)

And these quotes from http://www.queeringdiabetes.org/sicko_journal/020722_bloodsugar_theories.htm ring pretty true, too:

The thing is that over time, learning about diabetes has started to feel like a Monty Python sketch.  "There are three things that will affect your bloodsugar level: food, insulin, and exercise.  No, I mean, four!  There are four things that will affect your bloodsugar level: food, insulin, exercise, and stress.  Yes, four things.  Well, no five really, five things that will affect your bloodsugar level: food, insulin, exercise, stress, and your menstrual cycle.  Right, five things."  And as diabetics have been testing our bloodsugars more frequently, we and medical professionals have been looking for patterns to figure out what else might be going on, developing theories (that's inductive research for you methods geeks out there), adding to the list... "Did I say five?  I meant six..."

and this one:

There is a nasty shaming voice in my head, and I hope it's not yours, saying "Well, if you knew that this would cause problems, then why did you do it?!?  Stupid girl.  Bad diabetic.  Bad."  Sad smile.  That's some f*cked up shit that "Bad diabetic" stuff, huh?  Not a lot of fun to carry around all by myself, I can tell you that much

Comments

[ruth-lawrence.livejournal.com]

I liked this, thanks firecat.

I have type 11 diabetes. Looking back, I think my metabolism of carbs may well have been...idiosyncratic.

when I went to find out about my condition, I, too, found a lot or pious, contradictory stuff, and supposition presented as fact.

I also have asthma (quite bad), and *there's* a minefield of crap from others. I'm lazy or crazy, right? I'm stealing their tax money!

Often I want to say to folks like Armchair Doctors, "But will the example from you life kill you? If not, shut up'.

I note that people are being very understanding of my Mothers sight problems (which is cool). I hypothesise that folk understand blindness much better than metabolic or immune diseases *because it gets dark*.

[wordweaverlynn.livejournal.com]

Not to mention the shit I get from people who see my eczema. Everything from "What did you do to your hands?" to the woman at work who grabbed my arm, dragged me into her cubicle, and made me put on some of her hand cream. ("I get dry skin too. This will cure it!")

And the people who endanger my life by not taking my food allergies seriously. I actually used to like celery. It's only the past twelve or thirteen years that it has been so dangerous to me.

[ruth-lawrence.livejournal.com]

Oh, yeah. I get excema too, and the stuff folks (including doctors) think ought to go on it will make it far worse. And it's seen as dirty. And I can't use a truckload of various soaps, shampoos, deodorants, lotions, cosmetics and so on.

I don't have dangerous food allegies, but I do have allergies, and people just won't rmember that. Good training for the diabetes (they think I can eat anything except sugar).

May imps carry them off!

[firecat]

"I'm stealing their tax money" is something I've heard a lot lately.

I understand your point about blindness/sight problems, but I've also been in a restaurant with a blind person, and when she asked the waitress a question, the waitress said, "Can't you see? It's right there in the menu."

[ruth-lawrence.livejournal.com]

Oh dear. *That* called for the dead herring slap of cluefulness.

The persons wasting the tax money are the parading whomevers in our respective governments I'd have thought. But yeah.